Wringer



F. B. ZIEG,

n wenn 'mud lay 25. 1921 f y :s sheets-sheet 1v FRANK B. DEQ- NvENToRzF. B. ZIEG oa. 20,1925. 1,551,916 Y WRINGER Filed may 25. 192': :ssheets-sheet a 1,557,916 E. a. zlEG l WRINGER i Filed May 2,5. 19215.,Shee'ts-Sheet 3 m' ummm.

W FRANK E5. Zc.

Aufs.

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

l UNITED STATES PATENT oFIFlcEj.' j

FRANK B. zIEG, 0F FREDERICK'FOWN, OHIO, A ssIGNon, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS,'row THE F. B. ZIEG MFG. COMPANY,

OHIO. Y i

Application led May 25,

T0 all whom 'it may concer/m.' Be it known that I, FRANK B. Zinc, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fredericktown, in the countyof Knox and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in VVringers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to clothes wringers and more particularly to powerdriven Wringers used in connection with Washing machines. The inventionhas special relation to a safety device for the quick release andseparation of the rollers incase of emergency.

A danger inherent in the ordinary type of power driven wringers is theliabilityv of injury to the operator by having a hand caught between thecompression Kroll in feeding the .clothes through the wringers. Seriousinjury may thus occur before the driving mechanism can be disconnected.Similarly, the wringer mechanism may be broken by bunching of clothes intoo great thickness to pass between the rollers. AThese conditions have4necessitated 4the development of means for `quickly releasing thecompression between the rollers and for permitting their separationsufficiently for the withdrawal of a hand or clothingcaughttherebetween. Y

In the safety devices heretofore used, cere tain disadvantages ofconstruction and uncertainties of operation have been present which Ihave overcome in my present inf vention. y

`One of the objects of my invention is to provide a quick operatingroller releasing device which also operates to positively separate thelrollers when released.

Another object of the invention is to4 provide means for controlling thedevice which is conspicuously available to the operator in any positionwhich the latter may be.

Another object is to provide a releasing device in which a unitarycontrol is operable in one direction to release the rollers from tensionand widely separate them, and by a reverse movement of the control torestore the rollers to operative position under tension as before. 'i Afurther object is to provide a safety device in which is incorporatedmeans for tensioning the rollers and so constructed that the operationof the device does not normal l vice.

WRINGER.

1921. Ysemi No. 472,361.

require readj ustment Vof the tension Vmeans when restored to normalpos1t1on.

:A further Object is to 'p1-Ovide ,fa

simple construction with a minimun-1` of parts and free' ofAobstructions to the' eiif#v cient operationof the wringer.

Other objects and 'advantages will be'ap` A parent in thefollowingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment of my inventionWhichI have illustrated in the accompany` ing drawings. yIt will beunderstood, how-fl ever, vthat in the appended claims I v'aim to .coverall legitimate variations and modi# Fig. 2 is an endview showing 'theparts vin i i position for theoperationof' the wringer. y I

Fig.- 3 is an end vieW illustratingfthe devicein tension.w Y

position to releasegthe rollers fromV Flg. 4 1s an end view showing theupper roller lifted and lsupported free from the lower roller withthereleasing'arms in ex'- treme position. y Y Fig. 5 is a partial vplanview of the Ide Fig. 6 is a detail plan viewof a part of thereleasingidevice'. v In the embodiment of my invention here?v inillustrated, I? have showna wringeruas adapted for.A use inaconventional manner upon a mechanical Washing machine. The .wringer ismounted upon a. swinging bracket 10 lwhichcarries a ygear box l1housingl asuit'able gear mechanism adapted to drive the wringer rolls.The bracket 10 mayr be provided with' adepending ,tubular extension12"thr ough which Aa drive`. shaft 13 may extend into the gear box forl"the operation vof the gear mechanism. -The tu; bular portion 12 maybe'y adapted for 'piv otal mounting in a suitable support carried by theWashing machine. 2A hand Lleveitlt may be provided on the upper`-portion of the gear box Yforithe convenient Aoperation of `meanscontrolling the engagement of the driving mechanlsm actuating the wrmgerrolls.

A. pair of spaced journal blocks 1 5` and 116,

rising from thenpper surfaceof Lthe bracket tion at onev end with thegear, mechanism 10, carry the ends of the shaft 17 upon which is formedthe lower roll 18 of the wringer, and serve as the Alower half of thejournals for the respective ends of t-he roller shaft. The shaft 17 Ahasa suitable driving connechoused in the gear boX 11. Overlying andsuitably secured to the journal blocks are' a pair of cross members 19and 2O extending a substantial distance on both sides of -the journalblocks and forming attheir central portions journal fcaps 21 securingthejournailed ends of the roller shaft 17; Y

Positioned abovethcl cross `members r19 and 20,are 'a pair vof 'swingingbearing sup@ ports 22 and23, pvoted to the ends ofthe i cross membe'rsonone sideo'f the wringer, as

l bearing slots 27 are. so positionedthat when the supports 22 and'23are in'n'orma'ltpos-itionfthe upper roll lies immediately above thelower 'roll and incontact therewith. The supports 22 and 23 are adaptedto swing upwardly about theirv pivots and carry the upper roll 26 asubstantial distance/away from the lower roll 18. l

Rigidly vkmounted upon the ends respec- .t tively :of the upperfandlo-wer roll shafts adjacent to the gear boX, area pair of gears 29 andBOwhich interengage when the upper roll isinoperative .position upon thelower y verse swing Vof the control bar. l g Y f I The control bar issuiiic-ientl'y elevated roll, and' by which the upper roll is 'opera/-tively driven..

To secure theV rolls in normal 'relation with the necessary compressionfor the Yoperation of the wringer, I have provided releasable tensionmeans con'iprising a'pair'vof upl 1 right rods 31 andri32 pivoted on theforked ends 33 and 34 of thecross members "'19 and 20( The rods 31 and*32, rising from'the cross`inemb'eis'passf normal position between 'thebifurcated Vends 35 and 36 'of the bearing supports for the upper'rolls,andexi tend 'upwardly therefrom to the contro-l bar frigid'ly connectingthe'two rods. 'l

7flach ofthe upright 'rods is screw-threadedl over its y'portion'extending above the bifurf cated'end of the" bearing support, as atl38,

i d' and has threaded thereon a hand wheel 39 abutting which is a coiled.spring 40 eXten'df ingjdownwardly about the rod. The lower end of the srin'g 40 iscontined by a washer 41, limited 1n its downward movement bya cross pin42 fixed'iirtherod.l The crosspin 42 is located so that whenthe upright rod'is in engagement with :the bifurcated end ofthe'b'eari'nfg 'support in normal position,v the right rods.

pin is below the support.

upper surface of the bearing The. extremities of each ofthe bifurcatedendportions 35 and 36 vof the bearing supports, areV constructed-with aninclinedl surface app-roachrngthe Vupper surface of the support, and soarranged that when the upright rods are swung into engagement with theends of the supports, the washers 4:1 slide overy the inclined surfaces,thereby accomplishing the compression of the coiled springs in passingto their `normal position at rest upon the upper surface' of the bearingsupports. `When so normally positioned, Y

the upright rods 'otherwise than b'y'a posi- I tive movement ofthecontrol bar. Y

`Y The construction here describedA provides for the positive securingAof the upper lroll in operative relation 'to' the lower roll. Anydesired degree of compression between ythe rolls may be secured byvaryingv the 'tension ofthe. vcoiled springs through lvaryin'-g,theposition of the hand wheels 39 upon the up'- 'VVit'hthe outwardVswinging of the control bar 37, the .tension springs arecarried out ofengagement with the upper rollbearing supports, instantlylreleasine' thelatter and perimitting theroll to be 'swung'upwar'dly away from thelower roll. Releasing the roll, how- "ever, doesnot disturb theadjustment of une spring tensioin vThe vstop pins 42 retain the springadjustment and Ahold thefwashers 41 in' position for' reengagement vwiththefreabiove the rolls -tooffer no obstruction tov the ordinary use vof'the wringer, andb-yreason of, its location, be reached 'by theoperatorfrom any position fon either side of the wringer. A furtheradvantage isv that the control'bar `extends over the entire' klengt-hvof the rolls. The long bar is' conspicuously outstanding and maybegrasped or struck to immediately releaseth'e rollers'in case .of 1

accident with-out searching able 'operatingdevei A` furtl'ierirnptntantv` advantagey in ymy construction Vresides in f'theylprovisionfof means forjpositivelylifting the upper roll for a lessavailbearing :supports aft-er their release.A 'By To accomplish theseends I have provided angular extensions 43 and 44 on the upright rods 3land 32, extending below the cross members 19 and 20, and carrying attheir extremities connecting links 45 and 46, the latter being pivotedat 47 and 48 on the upper roll bearing supports 22 and 23. rIheconnections between the extensions 43 and 44 and their respectiveconnecting links include arcuately slotted portions 49 formed at theends of the links. Pins 50 fixed in the extremities of the extensions 43and 44 extend through the slots and carry suitable washers at theirouter ends to prevent displacement of the links. 4

During that portion of the swinging movement of the upright 'rods 3l and32 which carries the tension springs out of engagement with thebifurcated ends 35 and 36 of the bearing supports, the pins 50 slidethrough the arcuate slots without operating the connecting links. Assoon as the tension springs have cleared the ends of the bearingsupports, the pins 50 engage the ends of the arcuate slots and bycontinuing theswinging movement of the upright rods, cause the links 45and 46 to force the bearing supports 22 and 23 upwardly about theirpivotal supports upon the cross members 19 and 20. lVhcn in extremeoutward position the weight of the upright rods and the control bar issufficient to hold the upper roll in raised position. In the reversemovement of the upright rods forrest-eration of the rolls to operativeposition, the bearing arms are iist lowered so that .the two rolls areagain positioned in operative relation,-

whereupon the cross pins 50 again travel the arcuate slots while thetension springs ride up over the bifurcated ends of the bearing supportsto their normal operating positions.

It will now be apparent that I have provid-ed quick releasing means ofvery simple and inexpensive construction which securely holds the rollsin proper operating relation, under any desired tension until it may bedesired to release them; and that the latter operation may beaccomplished by asimple movement of a readily accessible control bar,thereby instantly releasing the rolls and positively forcing theirseparation. also be observed that the raising and lowering of the upperroll and its supports may be controlledentirely by the swinging of thecontrol bar without necessity for sepa rately replacing the rolls aftertheir release.

I claim as my invention:

l. A wringer comprising a pair of rolls, releasable means adapted to bemoved into one position for forcing said rolls together and into anotherposition for separating said rolls, movable means for holding saidreleasable means in said iirst position, said movable means when out ofholding position It will' permitting. separationof the rolls, and a'lost motion 'connection between `said releasable means and said movableholding means to permit separating the rolls without Inotion of themovable means, said movable means and said lost mot-ion connection permitting separation ofthe rolls positively vby moving the holding means.A 2. A A wringer comprising a stationary support having a rolljournalled therein, a

swinging support pivoted on said stationary support and having a secondro-ll j ournalled therein, means hinged on one of said supports movabletoand from the other support, tension means carried by said hinged meansoperable' to etfect compression between saidy rolls, and means operableby said hinged means for positively separating said rolls when saidtension means is inoperative.

3. A wringer comprising a stationary support carrying a roll, a swingingsupport pivoted on said stationary supportand carrying' another roll,vreleasable means for resiliently forcing said swinging support towardsaid stationary's-upport 'to elf-ect compression between said rolls, andlinks between said means and said swinging support operable by saidmeans to move said swinging support to and lfrom-said station.- arysupport when released.V 1 f 4. A wringer comprising a pair of supportspivotally engaged at oneend adapted to swing relatively to eachother, a'c pair of rolls journalled intermediatelyof the ends of said supportsrespectively, :means mounted on theopposite end of one of said supportsadaptedrtodetachably engage t-he lcorresponding end of the other of saidsup port-s `and resiliently force said supports toward each other, and alink carried by said means and pivotally attachedto said other supportwhereby said other support may be positively swung when its said end isdisengaged fromsaid means.

5. A wringer 'comprising a lo-wer roll, a stationary journalsupporttherefor, an upper roll, a swinging ournal support forsaid yupperroll, said swinging support being pivoted laterally of said rolls uponsaid stationary support, a bifurcated arm on said swinging supportprojecting laterally op posite said pivoted portion, a member pivoted onsaid stationary support and swingv able into engagement with saidbifurcated arm, a hand wheel having' screw threaded engagement with thefree end of said member, an intermediate stop iixed on said memberinwardly from the point of engagement with said arm, and a springconiined between said hand wheel and said stop, the inward end of saidspring riding upon and being tensio-ned by said arm when said arm andsaid member are engaged.

6. A wringer comprising a stationary roll, a movable roll, releasabletension means Aeo operable upon said Vmovable roll for forcing saidrolls together, and links connect-ed with said ,tension meansand sai-dmovable roll whereby said rolls may be forced -apart with the releaseofsaid tension means, said'linksy bein-g inoperative While said tensionlneans is in operative posit-ion.

7. A Wringer comprising a lstationary roll support, a movable rollsupport, a member pivoted f on said stationary support and operable todetachably `engage said movable support, means 'carried by said Amemberadapted to force said movable :support toward said stationary supportwhen said member and said 'movable support -are in engagement, and a.rlink pivoted on said movable support and having a :lost motionconnection with said member, said link being inoperative during themovement oi said member into and Aout oitenga'genient with said movablesupport, an-d operable by the movement yof said member When Ifree ofsaid engagement to swing said movable support to and from saidstationary support.

l 8.- A wringer eomprising` a. stationary roll support, a movable rollsupport, a member pivoted on said stationary support and operable todetachably engage said movable Vsupport, means icarried by saidmem'bera-dapted to force said 'movable support toward said stationarysupport when saidv member and saidV movable support are in engagement, alink having one end pivotally connected to *sa-id movable support, the'other end of said linkV having a slo-t therein, and a pin'liXed`onr'said member having engagement with-in said slot', the pin engagingtheend of ysaid Aslot tov raisel the arm, -said pin and slotted end ofsaid link permit-ting relative 1novement therebetween freely except Whensaid member is disengaged from said movable support.

9. In a Wrin-ger, va stationary bearing :support, a movable bearingsupport havin-g ia hinged connection therewith, a` biliurcated armproject-ing from said movable support oppositely to sai-d hingedconnection, said arm having an inclined end, a rod pivoted on saidstationarysnpport operable to engage said bifurfcated arm, va springcoiled about said rod, an adjustable tensioning abutment for said'spring carried en the 'free end of said rod, and a ixed abutment onsaid rod near the pivoted end thereof, said fixed abutment being locatedto position thek adjacent end of said spring so thatJ with the movementof said rod into engagement With Said bifurca-ted varm said inclined endWill engage and compress said spring 'ree from said fixed abuti'nent. Y

10. A Wr-inger comprising a lower roll, stationary end bearings for saidroll, van 'upper roll,-movableend bearings: for said upper roill, a pairo members pivoted' respectively lto each of saidr stationarybearings,-tension means carried 'byeach of said members operable tolforce said movable bearings toward said stationary bearings, Said meansbeing releasable by the Swinging fof vsaid members, and a bar extendingbetween lsaid members operable to swingV Said members simultaneously.

In testimony whereoi, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK B. Zine.v

